The Last Uchiha
by Sedentary Wordsmith
Summary: Naruto...Yes, that was his name. He's the one who went so far for me. I would have liked to see Naruto one more time. Twoshot. Character deaths.
1. Chapter 1

Warnings: Slight spoilers for some episodes not yet out in English; OOCness, but blood loss will do that to a person. lolz. That said, please enjoy.

Chapter One

My fingers seemed frozen in place, unable–unwilling?—to release their hold on the black cloak. My turbulent red eyes stared into cold black ones, unmoving, frozen. For a long while, I merely stood there—frozen—supporting the weight in my hands. Then, slowly, of their own accord, my frozen fingers released their hold on the black cloak with the red clouds, and he fell. Dead weight. Lying frozen on the ground.

Something warm and liquid on my hands was burning my frozen fingers. I brought my hands up to my blood-red eyes to see the matching color on my hands. _(And my arms and legs and chest and face and stomach and snow-white shirt.)_ His or mine, I didn't know. Didn't care.

My hands fell to my sides and I stumbled back a step or two until my back hit a tree. I slid down to sit, not bothering to notice if the ground was even dry or wet, not that it would have mattered. It soon became wet from the blood dripping off my form and soaking into it. I sighed deeply, and winced. Breathing deeply was not such a good thing at this time.

My eyes wandered up and over to the black cloak with the red clouds, and the person lying–frozen—within it. My eyebrows furrowed a bit. I was unsure of what exactly had just happened. A fight? Yes, there had been a fight. With…Itachi? Yes, it had been Itachi. I was sure of it. No one else fought that way—_could_ fight that way. And…I had won? Now, that, I was not so sure of. Yet there he lay, in front of me—frozen and unmoving—as the proof.

My brows drew down deeper as I frowned. But…how? I could never beat Itachi before. He was simply too good. No matter how hard I trained, how much power I gained, his back was always so far ahead. Hard work was simply no match for true talent, was my bitter lesson in life. So how had I…? at last…? The fight was all a blur to me.

I do remember Chidori…failing…And there was Mangekyou Sharingan—two pairs, I'm sure. And my Chidori Nagashi, and two long swords…I don't remember the final blow. Or his final words—Did he have any? He must have, because I remember something hurting worse than any wound. What were they…?

I close my eyes and try to concentrate—on anything. Focusing is becoming harder, as more redness slips down and into the earth to be greedily soaked up by the soil. –Itachi.—

My eyes open again to look at him. His are still open—dark grey staring up into darkening blue. But he's not looking. He hadn't been looking before, when we fought. All these years, and he still wasn't looking at me. _(Maybe tomorrow.)_

Tomorrow…I remember part of what he said, now. He asked me…what I would do now. Yes…He asked me what came next, now that I killed him. How silly of him. That question could only be based off the assumption that my sole desire in life, my only purpose and goal, the reason I betrayed my friends and sought power anywhere I could find it, broke all bonds, and took on the self-imposed title of Avenger when I was still just a child—was to kill him. And now that my purpose in life was gone, what would I do?

Well the answer is quite simple. My purpose in life is not yet gone—not lying frozen and unmoving on the ground. No, killing him was only half my reason for continuing to live and grow these years. The restoration of my clan still lies in my hands.

After all, I cannot be the last Uchiha. I am not worthy. Besides, that would make _him_ the second-to-last Uchiha, and he is certainly less worthy. I almost grin a little at the thought. He was not the last Uchiha. I am. _(Forgotten already that I am not supposed to be the last.)_

A bird sings and flies away, drawing my attention to my surroundings. I realize that I do not even know where I am. I was aware of all around me during the fight, of course—At least, I think I was. _(I cannot quite remember.)_ That is a most basic rule for a shinobi. And I am a good shinobi. But that's not important right now. I cannot remember where I am, or how I got here—only that I found Itachi here. _(Or maybe he found me?)_

I wonder if this place—some forest—is anywhere near Konoha. Near home. I have not seen, have not been home in so long a time. I was very young the last time I was home—seven or eight, I'm not sure—but that was nearing ten years ago. More than half my life. Half a life is much too long to be away from home. Itachi was very far from home too…_(I haven't seen my Aniki in such a long time…)_

Friends…Friends are at home. I haven't seen them in much too long a time, either. I wonder if they've forgotten me. I can't quite remember their faces right now—but I'm sure they'll come to me in a minute. Especially Nabuto. No…Naruto. That's it. Yes, he's the one who went so far for me. _(Foolish dobe.)_ How could I forget his face? He had whiskers, I think. And bright green eyes. No, that was the girl. His were blue. Yes, that's right. Blonde hair, blue eyes. _(Because they were like a bright blue sun in a sky of yellow.)_ I would have liked to see Naruto again.

I wonder why I'm so tired…Maybe it has something to do with the red water still running down my arms, onto my—frozen—fingers and soaking into the earth beneath me.

I'm interrupted from my musings by my name being called. I look over to the black cloak with the red clouds, and the person lying inside it. It wasn't him. He's still staring—unmoving and frozen—at the sky—but I don't think he sees it. I think he's dead. The second-to-last Uchiha, not the last.

A pair of black sandals steps into my vision—probably belonging to a person—probably the same person that said my name, since the person says it again.

I let my head fall back as my eyes _(I wonder if they are blood red or black as night?)_ travel up the person's body. And there it is, at the top. The face with whiskers and the eyes and hair like a blue sun in a sky of yellow. I knew his face would come to me.

He falls to his knees in front of me, so I don't have to look up quite so much. He looks…sad, maybe? I think he is wondering if all the blood covering me is my own, or the other's. I wish I could tell him, but I'm not sure myself. (Though the logical part of my mind remaining tells me that if I am unsure if I am wounded or not, I probably am.)

I try to greet him properly, but all that works its way past my—frozen—uncooperative lips is his murmured name. He repeats mine. And then he gathers me gently into his arms, so I no longer have to support myself. It has started raining in his blue suns. I do not want that.

"Naruto, why are you crying?" I ask him, and this time I manage to speak all the words. "Everything is all right now, isn't it?"

He smiles—sadly. _(How can a smile be sad?)_ "Yes, Sasuke. Everything will be better now. I've found you at last."

"Look, Naruto." I nod in the direction of the black cloak with the red clouds. "I killed him." (There was the bloody hole in his chest to prove it.) "I can finally go home now."

"Home…" he repeats softly, gazing at the one lying frozen, not seeing the sky. I do not think Naruto sees _him_, either.

"Yes…home. I still have to restore my clan. My purpose is not gone," I tell him. Something else suddenly occurs to me. "Do you think they will forgive me?" I betrayed my home, after all, and sought power from the enemy.

Naruto suddenly flashes me a bright, positive smile. "Of course they will, Sasuke! If I can forgive you, then they can too." The smile wavers.

"That's good…" I sigh, closing my eyes a moment. Naruto's grip on me tightens and he shakes me a bit. I open my eyes. "I'm sorry…for trying to kill you."

He smiles—a little. It also wavers. "That's alright. I tried to kill you too."

"Tell Sakura—" Yes, that was her name. She was the one with the green eyes. "—that I'm sorry for making her cry." Some part of me wonders what makes me say such things. I do not think I used to care what other people felt. But that doesn't matter anymore.

"You're going to tell her yourself," Naruto says in a strong, certain voice. "You're going to be fine, and we're going to go home. You have to restore your clan, remember?" (His voice also wavers.)

Oh, that's right. I can't be the last Uchiha. I almost forgot. "Home. They'll forgive me."

"That's right," he assures. (But I could still see the tears.) He supported me with one arm as he clumsily wrapped something around me with the other. Bandages? I must be wounded after all. "Just hold on," he murmurs to me. "Don't leave me yet."

I chuckle a little, but warm redness rises in my throat, so I stop. "I'm not leaving. I'm going home," I try to tell him. I'm not sure if it actually got out or not, for the redness in my throat. A little slips past my lips as my eyes want to close of their own will.

Naruto shakes me, gently at first, and begins calling my name again. He soon stops, though. Or maybe I stopped feeling it? _(It is unlike him to give up so easily, after all.)_

I sigh again, my mind content in the fact that I am going home soon. Soon, they will all forgive me, and everything will go back to how it was before I left, only better. Soon, I will become a Leaf shinobi again, and have my entire life ahead of me to fulfill my purpose. Everything will be alright soon, for the first time in much too long.

After all, I can't be the last Uchiha. _(I'm not quite sure why.)_

End.

There's one more coming after this, so don't forget to check back soon! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, over a hundred hits! Now, if only I could get all those people to leave reviews…

Chapter Two

I'm not sure how it happened. The three of us—Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, and I—were flying through the trees, on a mission far from home, when we heard what sounded like fighting. After a short debate, we decided to see what was happening and headed towards the sounds, but they stopped before we could get there. So we split up and continued in the general direction we thought the sounds had been coming from. I was the one to find him. I'm not sure how it happened.

As soon as I recognized the body slumped tiredly against the tree, I jumped down from my hiding spot and ran to him. (It had actually taken me longer than usual to realize who it was, with all the blood covering him.)

I shot the other body a glance as I passed by it, and was not too surprised to find that I knew him too. The surprising thing was that he was dead. A million thoughts raced and flickered through my mind at the implications of this realization, but I shoved them to the side for the moment. More important now was the still-breathing Uchiha and the state he was in. _(So much blood.)_

"Sasuke." I say his name, standing directly in front of him. He raises his head, but looks at his brother. He frowns and shakes his head a bit. I also frown, and repeat his name. He finally looks up to me. He does not look surprised to see me, merely…satisfied? Yes. Maybe even a little happy. I have not seen him happy since…I cannot remember. _(Have I ever?)_

I fall to my knees in front of him, taking in all the red covering his white form. There is so much. _(On his arms and legs and chest and face and stomach and snow-white shirt.)_ Is it all his? No, it can't be. There is simply too much—trailing down his arms and dripping off his fingers to be soaked up by the earth. But some of it must be his. If not for the simple—brutal—fact that he could not—nobody could—take down Itachi Uchiha without being wounded, the glazed look in his eyes would tell me so.

This is not the same look he has been wearing since he left Konoha. That was a glaze of indifference. This is a glaze of…unawareness. He has not insulted me, has not threatened me, or tried to kill me. Does he even know…? It almost seems like he's completely forgotten the years that we've been apart.

I see his lips working around words, but all that actually comes out is my name. All I can bring myself to do is repeat his own name, then gather him gently so he is lying in my arms. He does not protest the action at all, and that alone is enough to break me. I do not even notice as I start crying, but he does.

"Naruto, why are you crying?" he asks me, and the voice is so quiet. So weak. Weak is something I would never have expected to apply to him. "Everything is all right now. Isn't it?"

No. Nothing is right. There is too much blood to be right. Nothing can ever be right again. I try to smile—just for him. I wonder if he actually believes what he is saying…? "Yes, Sasuke. Everything will be better now. I've found you at last."

"Look, Naruto." He nods in the direction of his brother. "I killed him." Yes, there is even more blood covering _him_ and soaking the black Akatsuki cloak to prove it. "I can finally go home now."

"Home…" I repeat unknowingly, not moving my eyes from the dead Uchiha. Sasuke wants to go home…Everything he has lived and trained for and sought power from Orochimaru for and left Konoha and his friends for…is now lying dead on the ground. He completed his purpose in life. Now he just wants everything to go back to the way it should be—to the way it never was. I want it, too. Sasuke did not ask for his destiny, for his path as an avenger. Itachi thrust it on him. But now Sasuke is free from him, free of the life chosen for him. Now maybe he can live his own. _(I've always been good at deluding myself, I've been told.)_

"Yes…home. I still have to restore my clan. My purpose is not gone," he tells me.

So he will never be free…For the rest of his life, he will be trying to repair the hurts Itachi has done. _(But how long will the rest of his life be?)_

"Do you think they will forgive me?" he suddenly asks. I look down at him and see…guilt. He regrets. _He is still human…_

I gather up all the happiness I can and force it into a bright smile. "Of course they will, Sasuke!" _(No, they won't.)_ "If I can forgive you, then they can too!" If only it were that simple. He betrayed his home, after all, and sought power from the enemy. All it takes is one apologetic look from him to have my forgiveness and willingness to start again fresh, but…they are not so willing. I know they would never…He could never…

"That's good…" He sighs and closes his eyes. My heart jumps and I tighten my grip on him, shaking him a bit. I cannot…He cannot—! He opens his eyes. My heart calms a bit. "I'm sorry…for trying to kill you."

There have been several times he tried to kill me—much too many—but I think I know the one he is thinking of. The Valley of the End, where it almost did all end—where a part of it did end. That part hurt more than any Chidori. I smile—a little. I'm not sure why. The memories are nothing to smile about. Maybe because he's sorry? "That's alright. I tried to kill you too." _(Did I really?) _I don't think I could ever…actually…

"Tell Sakura…that I'm sorry for making her cry."

No, no. This is all wrong. The Sasuke I know—the one I don't want to—the one Sasuke has become because of his brother—does not do this. He does not apologize. He has not ever once apologized before today, that I'm aware of. He does not care. But now he does? Why? These are sounding much too much like last words. No! I cannot…He cannot…He will not! I will not let him! I've gone through too much for too many years for him to…

"You're going to tell her yourself," I say, strong and certain. _She will be so happy…_ "You're going to be fine, and we're going to go home." _And I will have at last fulfilled my promise…_ "You still have to restore your clan, remember?" I wonder which of us I am trying to convince.

"Home. They'll forgive me." His voice is certain, but has a yearning quality to it, buried deep inside, that says he can only dream of it. As he is dreaming now.

"That's right," I assure him. _(Or me.)_ But just to disprove my point, the blood is still flowing—trailing down his arms and dripping off his fingers. The blood tells me that if I wish to do as I say—to see him live free of his determined life—I must do something about the source.

I dig around in my pack and quickly produce a long roll of bandages. I begin wrapping them around his torso with one hand, supporting him with the other. I cannot see the wound through the blood, but I know it is very bad, and very deep. "Just hold on," I find myself murmuring. "Don't leave me yet." _(Never, never, never, nevernevernevernevernever—)_

The corners of his lips turn up into some semblance of the smile I haven't seen in much too long. He makes an odd choking noise in his throat and his lips twitch, blood spilling between them. His eyes fall half-closed. _(No, no, no, nonononono—!) _

I begin shaking him again, calling his name repeatedly. He only sighs and does not respond. _–nonononono!— _I continue to call his name, still unaware as the tears begin again. He wanted to go home…

And that is how Kakashi and Sakura find me some time later, still shaking him and calling his name.

End.

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review, luvs. This was sort of an experiment, so tell me if you like this style.


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